Maman's Homesick Pie

August 8, 2011
As a chef, Bijan is known for blending the cultures and cuisines of the places she’s called home: Iran, France, and America. She does the same in her wonderfully written memoir, sharing memories of her childhood in Iran that are so well rendered, readers will easily envision her father making a simple, sumptuous salad or her mother offering bites of delicious seasonal cheeses. Her parents, well-respected founders of a busy obstetric hospital, were named as infidels during the Islamic revolution, so the family fled to California in 1978. Bijan writes movingly of her parents’ accomplishments, their difficulty adjusting to their new home, and her own burgeoning love of food and cooking. What began in her parents’ kitchen in Iran continued in America, and took her to Paris and the famed Cordon Bleu school. After apprenticeships in France and California, Bijan was chef at a high-end San Francisco hotel and had her own well-reviewed bistro for a decade. Like the perfect dessert, each chapter ends with recipes, from a pomegranate granita she savored in Iran to cardamom honey madeleines evocative of France.

August 1, 2011

Bijan, award-winning chef and former restaurant owner in California, adds to the chef memoir trend with a tale that transcends the kitchen. She alternates among the worlds of her Persian childhood, American adolescence, and immersion in the culinary industry beginning at the Cordon Bleu in Paris. Her stories of living in Iran and her family's transition to life in the United States after the fall of the Shah make up the most compelling parts of the book, and Bijan's mother's love of cooking and her resilience when faced with loss is the heart of her narrative. The included recipes are a welcome addition and do not overwhelm the story. VERDICT There is a little too much jumping back and forth in time and place, and in parts the story feels rushed, as if the author is trying to squeeze it all in. Even so, this is a solid entry in the genre, and its distinctive combination of lush descriptions of food, Iranian history, and a bit of adventure makes it a good choice for book groups. Recommended.--Ann Wilberton, Pace Univ. Lib., New York

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